Sarafina (horse)

Sarafina did not race as a two-year-old and made her debut in a maiden race over 1600 metres at Chantilly Racecourse on 3 May 2010. Starting the 6/4 favourite she took the lead 200 metres from the finish and pulled clear of her seventeen opponents to win in "impressive" style by six lengths.[5] Three weeks later the filly was stepped up sharply in class for the Group 1 Prix Saint-Alary over 2000 metres at Longchamp Racecourse in which she was partnered by Gerald Mosse. She was made the 13/8 favourite ahead of eight rivals including Deluxe (unbeaten in two starts), Dariole (Prix Penelope) and Hibaayeb. After racing in fifth place she accelerated in the straight and overcame a rough passage to take the lead in the closing stages and won "comfortably" by half a length from Deluxe.[6] The racecourse stewards held an inquiry into possible interference caused by the winner but left the result unchanged. Alain de Royer-Dupré commented "It wasn’t a great interference and she really walked all over them. She's a very good filly, but still has a lot to learn".[7]

On 13 June Sarafina started 5/4 favourite for the Prix de Diane over 2100 metres on soft ground at Chantilly when she was accompanied by her stablemates Rosanara (winner of the Prix Marcel Boussac) and Valasyra (acting as a pacemaker). The best fancied of the other six runners were Deluxe, Sandbar (Prix Cléopâtre) and Zagora. After racing in sixth place behind Valasyra, Sarafina moved upon the outside to make her challenge in the straight. She took the lead approaching the last 200 metres and kept on well in the closing stages to win by one and a half lengths from Rosanara.[8] After the race Royer-Dupre said "I think we would like to keep her to the mile and a quarter and nurture her along. We still haven't seen the best of her".[9]

After a break of three months Sarafina was matched against older fillies in the Prix Vermeille over 2400 metres at Longchamp on 12 September and finished third behind the four-year-olds Midday and Plumania. In the 2010 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe over the same course and distance on 3 October the filly was ridden by Mosse as Lemaire was required to partner the stable's more fancied contender Behkabad. After being restrained in the early stages Sarafina was badly hampered when making progress on the final turn but produced a strong late run on the outside to come home third of the nineteen runners behind Workforce and Nakayama Festa.[10]

In the 2010 World Thoroughbred Rankings Sarafina was assessed at 121, making her the twenty-sixth best horse in the world, and the best three-year-old filly (equal with Lily of the Valley).[11]

On 30 April 2011 Sarafina made her first appearance as a four-year-old in the Prix Ganay over 2100 metres at Longchamp. She finished strongly but was beaten a length by the favourite Planteur with Cirrus des Aigles and Cape Blanco in third and fourth. She was then dropped back to Group 2 class for the Prix Corrida at Saint-Cloud in May and won "easily" by two lengths from the Prix Allez France winner Announce with Lily of the Valley unplaced.[12] The Aga Khan's racing manager, said "She ran well, turned left well and she beat a very nice filly (Announce), so we were very pleased. Everything was good".[13] The Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud over 2400 metres on 26 June saw the filly start the 4/9 favourite against four opponents namely Cirrus des Aigles, Silver Pond (Prix Hocquart, Grand Prix de Chantilly), Zack Hall (Prix Turenne) and Indian Days (International Bosphorus Cup). After being restrained at the rear of the field she accelerated in the straight, caught Cirrus des Aigles in the final strides and won by a neck.[14] Royer-Dupre commented "She was very fizzy at the start, but Christophe got her under control. He knew she was capable of that kind of finishing burst".[15]

Sarafina returned for the Prix Foy (a major trial for the Arc de Triomphe) at Longchamp on 11 September for which her three opponents were St Nicholas Abbey, Nakayama Festa and Hiruno d'Amour (Tenno Sho). Starting the 4/6 favourite she turned into the straight last of the four runners but then began to make progress and won by a short neck from Hiruno d'Amour after squeezing through a narrow gap and taking the lead in the last 50 metres.[16] The result remained unaltered after a lengthy stewards' inquiry.[17] On 2 October Sarafina started the 4/1 favourite for the 2011 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe but was never able to challenge the leaders and came home seventh of the sixteen runners behind Danedream. For her final race Sarafina was sent to the United States to contest the Breeders' Cup Turf at Churchill Downs on 5 November. She started the 2/1 favourite but despite staying on well in the straight she finished fourth behind St Nicholas Abbey, Sea Moon and Brilliant Speed.

In the 2011 World Thoroughbred Rankings Sarafina was given a rating 121, making her the thirty-eighth best horse in the world, and the second best four-year-old filly behind Snow Fairy.[18]